District: Lake Forest High School will open Monday, strike or not

Lake Forest High School and its teachers union have broken off contract talks today with no agreement in sight to end a 3-day-old strike.

That sets the stage for Lake Forest High School District 115 to move forward with its plan, announced earlier Friday, to reopen school Monday with administrators and community volunteers providing instruction – even if teachers remain on strike.

District officials announced late this afternoon that talks have broken off because the union had not responded to the district’s “last, best offer” with one of its own.

But Lake Forest Education Association spokesman Chuck Gress said the union provided a written counter-proposal “which contained financial concessions,” and that they hope to continue talks Saturday morning “to bargain toward a fair and equitable contract.”

Signaling that the sides could be moving farther apart, the district also announced it has filed unfair labor practice claims against the union over its tactics. Last Monday, the union filed unfair labor practices claims against the district.

The school board also said it has offered to defer a two-tiered salary schedule that’s been a sticking point but that teachers are still holding out for raises of 5 to 6.5 percent per year.

If no deal is reached by Monday, the exact nature of the academic program the district will offer to students on Monday is not clear. District 115 spokeswoman Anne Whipple said district administrators will provide instruction, while volunteers from the community have been recruited to help.

The community volunteers are “not going to be teachers,” Whipple said.

An announcement on the school’s website said the school will run on its regular Monday schedule, buses will be running, attendance will be taken and “most” athletic contests will be held. It’s unclear whether the day will actually count as an attendance day by state standards.

The regional schools superintendent will be on hand to monitor the situation and determine if the school day can be counted as an official attendance day.

Several parents have said that the district has reached out to them, asking for volunteers to help oversee the academic program.

The district’s website seeks support from volunteers to serve in a “support role.” Volunteers are being given background checks and getting fingerprinted for safety reasons, Whipple said.

Gress has declined to comment on the plan to reopen school while teachers remain on strike. The union spokesman called it an administrative issue.

Teachers went on strike Wednesday morning after they and district officials failed to reach an agreement on a new contract Tuesday night.

Teachers and the district were in talks for several hours on Thursday and again on Friday without reaching a deal.